Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 lbs beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp shortening

6 cups hot water

3 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium turnip, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

1 green pepper, but into strips

1 cup 1-inch pieces celery

1 medium onion, chopped (abt ½ cup)

1 tbsp salt

1 packet onion soup mix

1 bay leaf

Mix flour, 1 tsp salt and pepper.  Coat beef with flour mixture.  Heat shortening in large dutch oven until melted; cook beef until brown.

Add water.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 2 hours.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Simmer until vegetable are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.

Thicken stew is desired.  Shake 1 cup cold water and 2 to 4 tbsp flour in tightly covered container; stir into stew.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  6 servings.

Excellent!  1/9/99